Should clergy be excluded from New York's 9/11 commemoration?

There's a controversy over the city of New York's exclusion of clergy from the city's official commemoration of the '01 terrorist attacks.

The mayor says they are excluding clergy to avoid leaving any one out. The Southern Baptists say they already feel left out of a Washington prayer service, where representatives of other faiths are included. Progressive faith leaders are protesting, as well).

Without a clear view of the role religion plays in society, is this smart, to say no to everyone? One of the largest commemorations planned in the Hartford area is at 7 p.m. Sunday at St. Joseph's Cathedral, at which there will be much prayer and reflection.

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6 Comments

I'm not sure they had another choice. Ideally (maybe/I think) they would've included clergy from all faiths . . . including Muslims . . . but I think we all know how that would've gone over (*see "Ground Zero Mosque").

People are often upset about their the exclusion of religious groups, but usually what they really mean is the exclusion of their own specific religious group.

Have some religious people lost their minds? Why do they think they have a right to bully others to specifically include their perspective in anything and everything?

If this were an event organized solely for the purpose of hearing remembrances by the sons and daughters, aged 18 and under, of those who died in the Twin Towers, would it be proper for the clergy to butt in and have time at the lectern, too?

I'm not being anti-religion here. All I am saying is that not every event entitles clergy to be able to force the organizers to hand over the microphone to those who wish to interject a religious element into that event.

If clergy and religious people want to have a 9/11 commemorative event featuring preaching, prayer and the like, then they are perfectly free to arrange one. Heck, even Rick Perry and crew were able to do that.

And ChrisB, I think you are entirely right - all that matters to most people is that THEIR group was excluded, the others be damned (although they would NEVER say that).

I'm not sure they had another choice. Ideally (maybe/I think) they would've included clergy from all faiths . . . including Muslims . . . but I think we all know how that would've gone over (*see "Ground Zero Mosque").

People are often upset about their the exclusion of religious groups, but usually what they really mean is the exclusion of their own specific religious group.

meh, you may be right. American Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists...worked together to save fellow Americans. No one asked the religion of the person being saved or the person saving. We huddled together as Americans and took care of one another. Religion may have been at it's best on that day.

I recall the services that were performed after 9/11 and many religious leaders (even obscure sects) were up their on the platform. Hindu, Jew, Old Christian, New Christian, Buddhist, Native American (of course), Yogees, Bogees, Greek Orthodox Jains, Zen, Muslim, Russian Orthodox, the Queens's rep, Yes, the the cloths and head pieces were flapping in the hardy winds that day.To me it looked like a scene from Star Trek - The Next Generation. Of course a religious friend thought it was sooooo beautiful that all these holy leaders had come together.

I guess there is power in the word of god's men. Go figure.

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Why a religion/faith/spirituality blog? Even in a secularized culture, even for people who profess no religious affiliation, theology has a way of insinuating itself into the conversation... read more